Sonic Perspectives

Never a band to rest on their laurels, Blind Guardian have always moved forward and changed their sound from time to time. From their speed metal beginnings, to absorbing thrash influences in subsequent releases, and finally establishing themselves as power metal ambassadors, there was always something new with every release. For epic performances at Wacken [...] The post BLIND GUARDIAN Leader HAN...

With four full-length albums and a notable guest appearance under her belt, Canadian singer Leah has been making waves lately with her distinctive other-worldly take on Celtic-inspired folk metal. Fresh off last year’s collaboration with Testament‘s Eric Peterson on the third Dragonlord album as well as her own album “The Quest,” the Vancouver-based siren quickly [...] The...

Very few people in metal today embody the term “persistence” as much as Frankie Banali. Having formed Quiet Riot in the 80’s and reached the top of the charts in 1983, going above Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” and The Police‘s “Synchronicity”, Frankie surely had his share of hardships since then. He faced a million lineup changes [...] The post...

The Swedish progressive band Opeth released their thirteenth studio album, “In Cauda Venenum,” on September 27. Widely hailed as a more focused and biting effort than its more psychedelic predecessor, “In Cauda Venenum” sees the band perfecting the sound they adopted after their more metallic era came to a close nearly a decade ago. On [...] The post TALKING PERSPECTIVES: Dissecting Opeth’s...

Changes in musical direction have always  been a part of what Leprous are about. On the new album “Pitfalls” set for release on October 25th (check out our comprehensive review here), the Norwegians are taking it to new territories, with quite a departure from their previous effort, 2017’s “Malina”. Written during a time when front-man [...] The post LEPROUS Fron...

Most music fans got to know Derek Sherinian when he joined Dream Theater. However, he already had a rich history in music when these American prog metal giants brought him in, having toured with Alice Cooper, Kiss and Jimi Hendrix‘ drummer Buddy Miles. Known for his distinctively heavy keyboard sound, Derek soon embarked on a [...] The post World Class Keyboardist DEREK SHERINIAN Reflects On...

One of rock’s premier bass players, Dave LaRue has become known most prominently through his memberships in The Steve Morse Band and Dixie Dregs. He also he has played with the upper echelon of virtuosic guitarists such as Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, Pat Travers, Steve Lukather, Mike Stern, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Albert [...] The post DAVE LARUE Talks New FLYING COLORS Album: “...

Although he is credited with helping to initiate prog’s resurgence in the 90’s with his band The Flower Kings, Roine Stolt first made his mark in the mid-70s by joining Kaipa as a teenager. His vast wealth of experience has come full circle this past decade as he has recorded and toured with some of [...] The post From TRANSATLANTIC to THE FLOWER KINGS: A Day In the Life of ROINE STOLT appeared fi...

There is hardly a more pivotal figure for the development of the thrash metal scene than Jon Zazula. The owner of the Rock and Roll Heaven record store, he started booking bands like Raven, Anvil and Venom, and his life changed after a demo tape of a band called Metallica fell on his hands. Initially [...] The post Legendary Megaforce Records Founder JON ZAZULA Reflects On His Upcoming Book and Th...

In late 2018, Anneke Van Giersbergen released “Symphonized”, an 11-track live album which registered two career-spanning concerts alongside the Residentie Orkest The Hague. The album comprised solo tracks as well as compositions from Vuur, The Gentle Storm and The Gathering reimagined with the orchestra. Now on the 27th year of a prolific career, Anneke is [...] The post ANNEKE VAN GIE...

“Soul Shifter” is the 9th solo album from acclaimed guitarist Vinnie Moore, considered one of the originators of shred guitar. Besides eight influential solo albums, and six albums and a live DVD as a member of rock royalty legends UFO, Moore has made countless album guest appearances, and has even recorded the soundtrack for a [...] The post VINNIE MOORE Reflects On New Album: “I Don’...

The second and final part of the two ProgPower postmortems podcasts (you can listen to the first one here). Early September really is the most wonderful time of the year for a group of dedicated metalheads who flock to Atlanta for the annual ProgPower USA festival. To recap the last two days of the twentieth [...] The post TALKING PERSPECTIVES: PROGPOWER USA XX Retrospective – Days III and I...

Early September really is the most wonderful time of the year for a group of dedicated metalheads who flock to Atlanta for the annual ProgPower USA festival. To recap the first two days of the twentieth edition of the festival, Talking Perspectives host Gonzalo E. Pozo and Sonic Perspectives totalitarian overlord Joel Barrios linked up [...] The post TALKING PERSPECTIVES: PROGPOWER USA XX Retrospe...

Having toured the world with acts like Whitesnake, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne and The Dead Daises, Brian Tichy is ready to embark on an ambitious journey. With influences ranging from deep blues to hard rock, and acoustic folk to metal, his new band Silverthorne is a welcome shot in the arm of modern rock. [...] The post BRIAN TICHY Elaborates On His New Band SILVERTHORNE: “We Have...

In a genre where it’s hard to stand out and not sound like a million other bands, one has to admire the uniqueness of Elvenking. Formed in 1997, this Italian Folk Power Metal outfit has released ten full length albums, the latest of which is their most ambitious project to date. “Reader Of The Runes [...] The post ELVENKING Members AYDAN and DAMNA Reflect About New Album: “It Will Take Us Pr...

The Darkness are ready to embark on the most ambitious album/tour cycle of their career. On the new album “Easter is Cancelled”, the band concocted a concept which questions their own existence, the relevance of other rock bands, and celebrate triumph in the face of adversity at the end of the journey. Produced by guitarist [...] The post THE DARKNESS’ Bassist FRANKIE POULLAIN Ex...

Markus Hirvonen is enjoying his break. Fresh off the European festival circuit, a four-city jaunt through Mexico, and a triumphant headlining gig at Night 1 of ProgPower USA XX, Markus and his fellow insomniacs are eager for a few weeks off before they hit the road again in support of their upcoming record, “Heart Like [...] The post INSOMNIUM’s Drummer MARKUS HIRVONEN On Latin America...

Fans of The Dead Daisies were surprised with rumors a few weeks ago that Glenn Hughes would be joining the band, replacing singer John Corabi and bass player Marco Mendoza. The confirmation of the lineup change finally happened this week, and the band is now working on a new album, with a tentative release for [...] The post DOUG ALDRICH Talks Upcoming THE DEAD DAISIES Plans: “GLENN HUGHES I...

The Dutch band Knight Area has been something of a shape shifter in its 15 years of existence.  Only one original member—keyboardist Gerben Klazinga—is still with the band.  At various points, the group’s style has been prog, or symphonic, or prog metal, or a variety of other sounds. For their seventh album, “D-Day”, Knight Area [...] The post PIETER VAN HOORN, Drummer for KN...

Eirikur Hauksson has had quite the career.  He started singing in Icelandic rock bands nearly 40 years ago.  He’s performed in the Eurovision Song Contest on multiple occasions.  Uriah Heep founder Ken Hensley hired Hauksson to sing with his band—which meant performing songs once presented by the legendary Dave Byron. But for the last 12 [...] The post EIRIKUR HAUKSSON, Singer/Lyric...

It’s a warm September day in Georgia. I’ve got my recorder, mic, and a friend’s LPs in hand. I’m nearing the end of my hedonistic holiday, I’m almost late to my interview, and freaking Waze is sending me south when I need to go north because it doesn’t realize I’m not driving. I arrive at [...] The post DEMONS AND WIZARDS Singer HANSI KÜRSCH: “The Main Rea...

If you are an addict to the NWOBHM, or a fan of traditionally sounding heavy metal in general, most likely you know of Steve Grimmett and his former band Grim Reaper, which achieved major success worldwide with three highly acclaimed studio albums along with single releases and MTV airplay. Steve not only was the vocalist [...] The post GRIM REAPER Front-man STEVE GRIMMETT Talks New Album: “...

Phoenix-based thrash veterans Sacred Reich recently released Awakening, their first studio outing since 1996’s Heal – and their first with former Machine Head drummer Dave McClain back in the fold. The album was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others. Showcasing everything a fan [...] The post SACRED REICH’s Front...

Michael Schenker is a legendary figure in rock, one of the most gifted and influential guitarists of all time. His work with Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group made him a hero to millions of fans and inspired a generation of musicians, including Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Slash [...] The post Legendary Axeman MICHAEL SCHENKER: “When Writing I Like...

Øystein Brun hears color: “When I listen to music, I see colors,” the brains behind Borknagar explains. “I have green riffs,  brown riffs, orange riffs, and together they make certain colors and shapes. It’s mental mapping, in a way.” It’s refreshing to hear a guy who demands absolute honestly in the arts actually practicing what [...] The post BORKNAGAR Bo...